/ Technology

Online sales made a noticeable comeback in January, rising 2% from a year earlier and gaining share of consumer spending as total retail sales fell 5.8%. That compares to a tough fourth quarter of 2008, when online sales fell 5.8% year over year as total sales dropped 8.6%.

Operating under bankruptcy court protection, The Parent Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc. still have venerable brands that other companies expect to revive online. Toys ‘R’ Us has acquired Parent’s eToys.com, BabyUniverse.com and ePregnancy.com, and Hilco Trading Co. is interested in buying Circuit City’s brand and e-commerce assets.

With a boost from non-prescription sales, Drugstore.com Inc. finished a year of record performance in 2008. Fourth quarter net income reached $289,000, compared to a year-earlier net loss of $2.3 million. The retailer posted sales increases on Beauty.com and VisionDirect.com as well as on Drugstore.com.

/ Marketing

Coming off a brutal fourth quarter that slashed Blue Nile’s revenue by 23% and net income by 53%, CEO Diane Irvine figures it’s an ideal time to take advantage of the jewelry retailer’s still-strong market position to build market share.

/ Technology

Although overall e-commerce sales are off the pace of recent years, the relatively strong performance of the online channel compared to stores and catalogs is making many retailers willing to pay for e-commerce expertise, executive search firm Crandall Associates says.